Game of Thrones Prequel Casts Young Grindelwald and a Bunch of Fresh Faces

HBO's upcoming Game of Thronesprequel just added a boatload of new names to the call sheet.

The Hollywood Reporterhas revealed eight new additions to the cast of the first Game of Thrones prequel, titled The Long Night, including Naomi Ackie (Star Wars: Episode IX), Denise Gough (Guerrilla), Jamie Campbell Bower (The Crimes of Grindelwald, Mortal Instruments), Sheila Atim (Harlots), Toby Regbo (Reign), Alex Sharp (To the Bone), Georgie Henley (The Chronicles of Narnia) and Ivanno Jeremiah (Humans).

The trade also revealed that veteran TV director (and helmer of the next Star Trek picture) S.J. Clarkson will be directing the pilot episode.

These newcomers will join Naomi Watts and Poldark star Josh Whitehouse for the fantasy-epic prequel series, which is expected to take place thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones.

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The series is the first of several potential Game of Thrones prequels and is expected to shed some light -- er, darkness -- on the fabled time period when the world descended from its "golden Age of Heroes" and brought about those pesky White Walkers that continue to ensnare all of Westeros in the show we all know.

No word yet on who each of these incoming actors will portray in the series, but we can make a couple of quick assessments right away:

1. The double Naomi thing is bound to prompt some fun blooper reels, so watch that space.

2. Jamie Campbell Bower's character could easily be an ancient Lannister, because just look at his hair!

3. The pilot is in great hands with S.J. Clarkson because she's already directed all manner of excellent TV, including one of the best episodes of Succession, the Collateral mini-series, and more.